Bhubaneswar: A local court in Kataka has sentenced a 38-year-old man to life imprisonment for murdering a youth in 2025 and dumping his body in a canal.
Third Additional Sessions Judge Lakshmi Narayan Raychoudhury in Kataka sentenced Pramod Kumar Bhoi, alias Babu, of Thoriapada under Kishannagar police limits in Kataka district after convicting him in the case.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1.10 lakh on Pramod after convicting him under Sections 103(1) and 238(A) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
It further awarded compensation of Rs10 lakh to the victim’s parents.
Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) Mahimananda Swain and associate lawyer SK Biswal shared the details.
According to the case records, the victim, Dillip Kumar Bhoi, alias Dipu, son of Dibakar Bhoi, left home on the evening of October 31, 2025, telling his parents that he would have dinner with Pramod.
When his parents tried to contact him around 9:30 pm, his phone was switched off.
His mobile phone was later found near the Taladanda canal, while his motorcycle was found abandoned near Jaduasahi in Sompur village.
Bloodstains were also found on the road. Police registered a case based on a complaint filed by the victim’s father and launched an investigation.
November 2, 2025, police and fire personnel recovered Dillip’s body near Swainsahi in Aainpur under Manpur panchayat. The body had cut marks on the neck.
Investigators alleged that Pramod had murdered Dillip and dumped his body in the canal. Durgesh Nandini Mohanty, then IIC of Kishannagar police station, investigated the case and arrested Pramod November 4, 2025.
The accused initially denied involvement but later admitted to the crime, according to the case records.
Police filed the chargesheet November 30, 2025, and charges were framed January 19, 2026. A total of 25 witnesses, including the investigating officer, testified during the trial, APP Swain said.
